Fortunately, Europeans have Elon Musk, who allows them to lie to themselves a little longer. Of course, Emmanuel Macron and his peers are right to denounce this "new reactionary international" serving Donald Trump, who wants to destabilize political structures in Europe. But Musk's obsession cannot mask two undoubtedly more disturbing realities. Firstly, the Tesla, SpaceX and X boss is not alone: the whole of Trump's America is sounding the death knell on Europe; secondly, it is Europe, in full stall since the turn of the century, who is largely responsible for its ill-fated destiny, and the collapse of the German model is the trigger.
That, at least, is the view of conservative America. "Nations prepare for a post-European world," wrote Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Russell Mead, noting that "Trump recognizes that the Continent has abdicated its role in history." With an air of "I told you so," the editorialist detailed the American assessment of Europe, economically unhinged, unable to keep the promises of its costly social model, destabilized by migration, driven out of Africa and at the mercy of Russia. "Under the circumstances, it's easy to understand the schadenfreude with which much of MAGA [Make American Great Again] World regards a weakened and demoralized Europe."
"The contempt with which Germany and the European establishment generally rejected President Trump's correct and important criticisms of misguided European foreign and domestic policies still rankles," the editorialist continued.
Trump's second term has not even begun, and the offensive is already underway, as evidenced by Apple boss Tim Cook and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg who relentlessly denounce obstacles to entrepreneurial freedom in Europe. Artificial intelligence (AI) is too serious a matter for Americans to bow to European rules. Europe's role in setting the global standard is over: It is too weak.
Europe lagging behind
Edward Conard, of the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, wrote in an article published in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Why the US economy is trouncing Europe's," that in 50 years, Europe has created 14 companies worth more than $10 billion (€9.8 billion). The Americans have created nearly 250 worth $30,000 billion. Europe's leading capitalization, the Danish pharmaceutical group Novo Nordisk, which sells its anti-obesity drugs to the Americans, ranks 25thin the world, followed by France's LVMH (28th).
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